


make sure I put this place on the map

by cashewdani



Category: 30 Rock, Disney RPF, Glee, The Office (US)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-22
Updated: 2009-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-15 02:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1288018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cashewdani/pseuds/cashewdani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>NBC called it Party in the USA and decided they would air it right after the Olympics wrapped, featuring participants from all of the 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	make sure I put this place on the map

After _American Idol_ , and _America's Got Talent_ and even _So You Think You Can Dance_ , despite the fact that it didn't have something about the United States in the title, it was only a matter of time. The producers took the varied talent portions of each of those, the drama of living together from _America's Next Top Model_ , and even got America Ferrera to host. NBC called it _Party in the USA_ and decided they would air it right after the Olympics wrapped, featuring participants from all of the 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Nick Jonas didn't want them to try out, it's so lame, but there's a check for $50,000 on the line and the chance that everyone will get to see them play. Really play. 

So, he's lined up in Dallas with his brothers and it feels like thousands of other people who are all hoping the same hopes he is. 

Nick is tapping the tempo to "Live to Party" out on his thigh, figuring if they play that, they'll at least make it to the air because it fits so well with the title of the show. Of course, it's maybe too obvious. Too cheesy. He wishes that someone would give him some feedback on this, but Joe's talking to two girls behind them who introduced themselves as "Demi and Selena, like Moore and...well, Selena," and Kevin's texting his girlfriend, Danielle, every twelve seconds. If they weren't the most talented people he knew, he'd definitely replace them for guys with more dedication.

*****

Everyone's already talking about some of the breakout performers from Dallas, as though that city's managed to win the whole competition before the show has even aired. She keeps hearing the names Jonas, Lovato, and Crucifictorius being passed around (the first two because they were amazing, the last because they weren't), but Rachel knows they're better than anything Texas has. Better than anything from any state for that matter. And at the end of this, everyone else will know too. So, maybe _New Directions_ would have preferred not spending their summer vacation rehearsing and then waiting to try out in Cleveland with so many untalented people, but it's clearly for the best.

Liz Lemon herself, who's producing this show, is in town and the rumor is that it's the only city she's visiting besides New York. No one knows why. Rachel doesn't care all that much because she doesn't even watch _TGS_ , but Artie really likes it. He says it's a big deal that she's here.

She makes Finn try the footwork again because she loves him, but sometimes watching him dance is more awkward than explaining the Slurpee stains on her clothes to her dads, and tells Tina to watch that she's not sharp during the bridge. 

They took sectionals with this song, and they will take this competition.

*****

Her vacation in Cleveland already feels like it was years ago, and she misses Floyd and feeling thin and not having to be in charge of two television shows.

Even though there's no age limit for tryouts, Liz keeps getting sent lists of contestants who can't even vote. The Wildcats from Albuquerque who do a basketball/dance routine. Jake T. Austin doing stand-up that he should not be capable of considering he can't grow any facial hair. At least Miley Cyrus seems like she's a lot older than 16. Still though, Liz makes them book that magician, Gob, even though he kind of sucks. Jenna will flip if everyone on the show could be her kid.

Jack finally approved her choice in judges today, even though they've hit a majority of the cities already. Tyra will bring in all of the viewers who like crazy, John Mayer adds a sense of credibility and this guy Michael Scott who was found from the viewer video contest they ran seems just clueless enough to appeal to most of the country. Joel McHale, Serena van der Woodsen, whoever wins _The Biggest Loser_ , Chad Dylan Cooper, Vincent Chase, Lady Gaga and of course America Ferrara, will all guest judge at various points of the season.

Kathy Griffin if any of them cancel.

Kenneth if even she won't show up.

God, this show better at least be able to book Kathy Griffin.

*****

Kelly Kapoor doesn't know where some of these people get off thinking they can even hold their own in a competition. And she knows she's totally thought about applying for _Project Runway_ like only every year that they've done it, but clearly she's awesome because she's designing all of the outfits the selected contestants will be wearing on a major network show. Well, her and Stella Malone and these two interns, Harper and some girl that everyone calls Little J. Kelly doesn't know if she even has a real name because she's from New York and her dad is apparently in a band, and it's possible she doesn't.

They're splitting up the cities, her and Stella, and trying to get a feel for the performers from the get go that the judges are pretty sure are going to make it to the live-in portion of the show. They'll each be given half the acts to attire, and design a look for along with Angela Montenegro and Pam Beesly who are in charge of make-up and hair. Most of the people she's seen it will be easy for; the kids are young and aware of their style options, and so excited that they're up for anything. Which is exactly how Kelly likes them to be. She's still trying to figure out what to do for Julie Taylor though. Maybe Gwen Stefani from three tours back. Something edgy but pretty. It would be a crime against society to make that dancer un-pretty.

And so she's trying to figure out whether lip liner is too far out to be making a comeback, or just out enough, when this male ballet dancer takes the stage. She's barely paying attention as they queue up his track, but by halfway through he's mesmerized. The guy is fluid and interesting, and yes, she will admit, hotter than Hugh Jackman. Looking at him, she can't help thinking _compact, but well muscled_ even though she hasn't seen the episode of _Buffy_ in who knows how long.

At the end of his routine, when he's standing there panting, chest moving rapidly under his white t-shirt, she leans forward to Tyra even though she's not supposed to, and asks, "He's making it right?"

"Ryan Howard, I just want you to know that you should probably be packing for New York, even our costume designer voted for you," Mayer says, and whatever John, like you need to be the only piece of eye candy on the show.

*****

They get a band called _Gormagon_ in D.C., and footage of someone dry heaving while doing a monologue in Philadelphia ( _Sweet Dee Lunch Looses and Compete?_ gets over two million views after Green Man posts it to his YouTube page) and this guy Marshall Erikson does some disco routine for fifteen minutes because his friend apparently dared him to. There's a college kid, Matt Saracen, that they pick up in Chicago with his guitar and David Henrie who can break dance incredibly in Phoenix. _Here Comes Treble_ and _Scrantonicty II_ both suck in that way that's hilarious, but Temperance Brennan sings "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" better than Cyndi Lauper.

Everyday footage is pouring in, and it's weird, but Liz is actually thinking Jack might have been right about this. She'd watch some early 90s style garage band called _Zach Attack_ on a Wednesday night and if that's not a ringing endorsement, she doesn't know what is.

She has Jenna film a promo that she doesn't think is ever going to make it to air, and asks Tracy to please not encourage anyone to change their religion or political party or hairstyle, and maybe things are going to be okay.

*****

The news gets announced when they're having their first official meeting as _Party in the USA_ contestants. Apparently they'll be competing in 4 categories: Dancers, Singers, Bands and General Entertainment, narrowing themselves down amongst those of a similar genre, and then pitting the top contestant in each category against one another until there's one person or group left standing with the gigantic check and balloons pouring from the ceiling. Nick doesn't know if it's supposed to be a twist, or if it just took this long for the producers to figure out what the format of the show was going to be.

He honestly doesn't care, because this is actually to their advantage. If all they have to do is show up the other musicians, they can do that. Easy. And while they're doing that, they'll build up a fan base which will help them compete against everyone without an instrument. Singers don't stand a chance. Joe can sing, and play the piano, so, right there, that top contestant is out. Dance might seem like it's popular right now, but Nick knows for a fact that most people don't understand it. Dancer, gone. And General Entertainment, Nick's not even going to explain why they're better than General Entertainment. Plus, he feels that category actually only exists so they can advertise for GE, NBC's parent company, during it.

Fourteen weeks from now, he and his brothers are going to be holding the check. It's not a possibility, it's a fact.

*****

They're all being given time to meet with stylists, and experts and the judges. Getting advice and support and making their final decisions of what's the first legitimate thing people are going to see in their living rooms that didn't come from tryouts. But Rachel still manages to find time to watch the other acts. Get a feel for them.

She hates to admit it, but some of what she heard about Dallas before the auditions was true. Demi has the advantage of being young and a solo act and pretty talented. Rachel honestly wouldn't be surprised if things come down to her and New Directions in their section. And she hates to say it, but, the ones she can't stop watching are the Jonas Brothers. She's impressed that they seem talented in different ways. She's seen the youngest one sing, and play guitar and complete a drum solo and that's going to be tough to beat. She can do it, but she recognizes a challenge when she sees it.

So, she respected them, to begin with. And then once she talked to that youngest brother, Nick, she learns from the name tags they're having them wear to breakfast and meetings, she finds that he's maybe the only person in this who wants this as much as she does.

It's weird and refreshing and kind of makes her feel the same way inside that Finn did when he first started paying attention to her.

He talks about looks and merchandising and the whole time, Rachel both wants and doesn't want them to be the final two.

*****

"What happened to that girl you were with? In Dallas." Joe asks Demi, one night while they're waiting in the green room to do interview segments. Sometimes Nick hates that Joe thinks he's cool enough to not have to remember who girls are.

"Selena didn't make it, which sucks, but she's really hoping to get into acting anyway. She just came so I didn't have to be there by myself for thirteen hours."

"I would have kept you company," Joe's telling her, biting his tongue between his front teeth while he gives her this look that Nick's actually seen him practice in the mirror. So, Nick's already getting ready to hate this girl when she fires back, "But wouldn't your ego get lonely if you were spending all that time with me?"

Nick can't help it that he's laughing so hard he's almost crying.

"What no response for that?" Demi follows up, and he was totally wrong about this girl, she's pretty awesome. 

It's weird how not horrible a lot of the people on the show actually are. His experience with watching reality TV always made it look like everyone was heinous and ridiculous. But Rachel's really driven, and Demi seems already capable of putting Joe in his place, which is a skill he thought his mother was the only female to possess. Plus, the guys from _Darwin Lied_ are mostly awesome for talking about the reckoning with.

"Why don't you give my brother another chance," Nick says, even though he doesn't have to. "Underneath, I promise he's not that much a toolbox."

"He's right you know, I'm really not," Joe follows up, pulling off looking kind of humble.

"Well then, I might just let you sit next to me in the car on our way to filming that Target commercial to prove it to me."

"I'd be flattered to do so, mi'lady," and Joe's already got her giggling.

*****

The night of the first show, Kelly almost wants to throw up, like she's the one going out on stage to perform in front of millions of home viewers. She doesn't even have to worry about what if she falls, or forgets the words to a song, or does any number of embarrassing things. There was a girl she went to high school with who passed out during their Christmas Pageant her freshman year and Kelly still ranks it on the list of "Worst Things I've Ever Been Witness To" with a roadkill baby bunny and Kerri Russell's haircut.

And maybe she doesn't have to worry about anyone seeing her in person screw up, but they're still judging her. Any wardrobe malfunctions are on her head, along with if people think the cowboy boots she picked out for Miley are stereotypical or insulting or any number of negative things. They better love those boots though, because, seriously, they're amazing. Kelly's going to take them home if Miley doesn't beat her to it, and wear them ironically with her cowboy hat to karaoke when she can finally go back to having an actual life.

To make matters worse, they totally assigned Ryan to her after her display at his tryout. So here she is trying to keep her hands from shaking while she's making the last minute adjustments to his costume, and, wow, there's not much at all here in between her skin and his.

"You going to watch me tonight?" he asks her, and the way he looks at her makes her go all warm, like she drank a Cosmo that a guy bought for her extra fast.

"I don't know. Probably. Since I've got to be here anyway," she says back, and hopes it's playful enough to be flirtatious.

He smooths down his tank top, and does a few plies. "I'd feel better if I knew you were rooting for me. I like to have a woman watch." And then he honest to God winks, like some old timey movie star, and she goes weak in the knees. Looking in the mirror, he asks her, "Do you think this is going to read right on camera?" waving his hand in the area of his package. "I don't want to scare the children."

Stella ruins the moment by laughing on the other side of the room. "You cannot be serious."

"Keep it quiet over there, because you just wish you were styling me," Ryan says and wow, when did Stella decide to start cock blocking her like this?

"I think you look great," Kelly tells him. "And not just because it's my job to make you look that way." Oh my God, she can't believe she just said that. He would totally be giving her his number if she didn't already have it as part of her work materials.

"I think you look pretty great too, Miss Kapoor, and like I said, you better be watching."

As if she could stop herself.

*****

The numbers come in from the first live show, and they're even better than what they were seeing from the try out footage. Liz can barely believe it. Even the cheese basket that Jack sends to her doesn't seem to be making it real.

There was no official voting that first week, each act was just given the opportunity to introduce themselves without pressure, but they still let people go online and select which acts they were excited to see more of. The server crashed twice that night alone. Three more times during the rest of the week.

All of these people are going to be stars or at least household names. And her's shows up during the opening credits.

Surreal does not begin to cover it.

She's almost waiting for Astronaut Mike Dexter to show up and take her to an all you can eat buffet, and then for someone to inform her that clearly she has died.

*****

The most exhausting part of the days have to be rehearsals. It's a lot of hurry up and wait, and Rachel knows it's important to work out choreography on stage, and determine all the lighting cues, but there's only so many times that she can sing the same song before she never wants to hear it again.

The Jonases are on stage at the moment, and they've been up there for awhile while the PAs talk frantically into their headsets, and even Nick's looking like he doesn't want to be performing. Finally, they're getting the signal that they can start their selected song of the week, which Rachel already knows is going to be "Australia" that he played her some of the other day. And both Kevin and Joe start up when they're supposed to, but Nick's just sitting there at the drum set. It's not even like he was slow on the uptake, because he doesn't jump in at all. And the next thing she knows, no one is playing anything any more, and Joe's kind of shaking him and yelling for juice and Kevin's telling someone with a clipboard that they better bring the medic in.

It's scary because she doesn't know what's going on, and Nick is so pale, she can't believe she didn't notice it before. Joe's literally holding a bottle of Gatorade up to his mouth that David Henrie threw to him from off stage and yelling at his brother that he has to drink it, and Nick's kind of shoving his arm weakly and looking dazed.

It feels like a really long time before the paramedics come into the auditorium.

Kevin's talking to them kind of fast, and they're taking drops of blood from Nick's fingertips, and then putting in an IV bag. At some point, that girl Demi, came out, and she's pulled Joe off to the side so the professionals can do their job. She's talking to him, low and close, so Rachel can't tell what she's saying. Joe keeps repeating, "He's going to be okay," loud enough to hear though, and it's making her chest feel weird and tight and horrible. She watches Demi rub his back because she can't look at Nick with the tube sticking out of his arm.

And then Nick's talking again, just like that, as though someone hit his on switch, and she realizes just how tightly she was holding her arms around herself.

"Did you skip lunch," Kevin's asking him, and Nick says, "Yes," looking wiped and terrible and embarrassed.

"You're lucky there are witnesses here," Joe starts, and he's such a mixture of anger and relief that Rachel doesn't want to look at him anymore either.

"He should go to the hospital," the medic says and it starts this whole argument where his brothers are insisting he goes, and Nick's demanding that he's feeling a lot better. She has to go outside and get some fresh air during that, but no one brings the stretcher in from the parking lot, so she assumes that Nick must have won the argument.

*****

"Lemon, we've got a problem," Jack says to her the minute she walks in the door, and really, why did she let him talk her into doing another show in addition to _TGS_ which is already far surpassing its quota for problems.

"What happened now? Did Jenna tell one of the girls that she thinks they could be sisters, and when the girl implied she was too old for that to be possible, Jenna set her hair on fire? Because that happened back in Chicago already and we at least work for a wig company now."

"Wait...already?" Jack gives her this surprised look and then switches back to neutral. "Actually, that doesn't shock me at all. But, no. One of the brothers in that band, he nearly died during rehearsal today."

"Do you mean nearly died like when Tracy found out the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy weren't roommates or like that time we gave Lutz a peanut even though he made us swear never to do that?"

"The Lutz time, Liz. The Lutz time."

"Well, is he okay?"

"Is he okay? What about are his parents going to sue? He's a minor, Lemon! Have I taught you nothing?"

"Apparently. What happened?"

"He's diabetic and because of scheduling delays, skipped a meal today. I don't want the press that we killed a 16 year old heart throb, Lemon. Either you or Pete are going to have to keep an eye on this."

"What about, Kenneth? Can Kenneth do it?" she shouts down the hallway at him, where he's already walking away.

*****

Nick is shocked that they didn't actually make him get admitted to the hospital. He still doesn't know how he pulled it off, especially because he's pretty sure that as a minor, they had to, but he'll be okay.

He knew it was idiotic not to eat, but he couldn't think of a way to bring up that he had to without letting them in on everything. Not that it really matters now. And he's sure that it's going to be exactly like when he had to go back to school after being diagnosed, and everyone looked at him weird and would ask him stupid things like if it would really be his birthday if he can't eat cake anymore. And he can eat cake. And go to school and win this competition, but not if everyone's treating him with kid gloves all the time.

"Let me check your levels again," Joe says. "And don't give me that look because we're supposed to do it every half hour, and if you refuse, I'm taking you to the emergency room myself."

"I'll do it."

"Fine, do it," he says, tossing the kit into Nick's lap. "You've got to let me see it when you're done though."

"You don't trust me?"

Joe answers, "I'm not even dignifying that with a response."

"It's in the safe zone, Joe," he says, passing over the test strip.

"It's still on the low side."

"It'll be fine!"

"Don't even start with me. I'm going to get you something. You want an orange?"

"Make it some ice cream."

"You're lucky I'm your big brother and care about you." As he's heading out the door, he leans back in saying, "You want me to get Kevin to sit with you?" and Nick throws a pillow at him.

*****

On her way down the hall to where they told her Nick was resting, she runs into Joe.

"Hey, is he okay? I was just coming to check on him." 

"He's a little...cranky?" Joe tells her, like that's not exactly the right word. "You know, after it happens. When you go in, don't take anything he says personally if he's being a dick."

"Ok, but um, what exactly did happen today?"

"Nick's diabetic. And he skipped lunch to film his portion of the promo for the week, because he's an idiot sometimes and doesn't want anyone to give him any special treatment."

"Well, I can respect that," Rachel says, and Joe's telling her, "All of you overachievers are nuts, seriously," while he's walking away.

She knocks while already opening the door, and Nick's sitting on the sofa, saying, "Don't worry, I'm fine," without even looking up from his laptop.

"Well, I'm happy to hear that," she says, and when he glances at her he seems just as annoyed as before he did.

"Did you come to gloat about how this is already all over the blogs?"

She plops down next to him to see that he's on Perez's site. "You are not reading your own press, Nick!"

"Don't act surprised. I know you'd want to see your own name in print whenever possible." The only reason she smiles and allows him to keep speaking is because of what Joe told her earlier. "And, yeah, this is never going to happen when we have a show to do. Don't get any ideas about distracting me during dinner so you can get an upper hand."

Rachel can't help it that it offends her. And offends her a little bit extra because Nick's the one saying it and she thought he was one of the few people who would actually understand where she was coming from when it came to performing and competition. "I can't believe you think I would cheat to get ahead rather than just standing on my own merit as a very talented young woman. Really, that's maybe the worst thing anyone's ever said to me and you wouldn't believe the comments I've gotten left on my Myspace page." 

She shoves up from sofa, but he grabs her wrist. "Sorry, I'm just...Sorry." He hangs his head a little bit and closes the computer. "Stay?"

"Actually," she pulls a DVD out of her bag. "Mercedes had _Dreamgirls_ with her and I always like to watch musicals when I'm sick. You want to?"

"I'm not sick," he replies with that same kind of annoyed tone in his voice.

"Fine, under the weather then, Nicholas." She waves the box a little. "We can talk about how we're both better than Beyonce?"

"Alright, put it on. They're making me sit out of all scheduled activities until tonight anyway."

"Good. And not because I think you need to rest, but because I think this will be fun. So we're clear."

She sits next to him on the sofa, and resists the urge to look at him every three seconds, because she knows he'll only get pissed off at her again if she does.

*****

That night Nick goes off book. Joe and Kevin know, but they're the only ones. All three of them walk out on stage, but rather than Kevin sitting down at the piano, Nick's the one who does. 

And he picks up the microphone and says, "I'm sure that you've probably heard about what happened earlier today, about my medical emergency." He's just hoping they keep letting him go because it's live. That they're not going to cut away to a commercial, or a technical difficulties message. "I'm a diabetic. I have to take insulin daily to keep my blood sugars under control, and I have to test myself, multiple times a day. It's usually not an issue, as long as I do what I'm supposed to do. Today, I didn't do what I was supposed to, and I suffered the consequences,"

He can't look at either of his brothers, because he's sure he'll lose it if he does. "This is a song I wrote, not long after I was diagnosed. I want to play it tonight."

Nick starts on the opening chords of "A Little Bit Longer", and he manages to get through it without his voice cracking.

At the end, the cheering in the auditorium is deafening and Michael Scott has tears on his face.

He didn't want to do it, but he had to. And this way, they're not going home this week.

*****

It's not that her and Stella are keeping track over who has the most people left in the competition, it's just that they have photo walls like at the end of _America's Next Top Model_ when one of the girls gets kicked off.

Kelly thought she was going to take the upper hand, but then Matt Saracen and Julie Taylor were caught holding hands getting into one of their travel vans, and suddenly the singer and his guitar weren't going anywhere. So her Temperance was the one singing her swan song instead, which Kelly can get, because while her voice was fabulous, she doesn't have the personality to make it on TV. Even in those low cut tops Kelly picked out for her.

"You owe me a drink," Stella tells her, ripping Temperance's Polaroid off the cork board.

"I'm not even sure you're old enough to drink, Stella," Kelly says.

Stella reapplies her lip gloss. "Don't be bitchy just because you lost."

"I'm not being bitchy! You're the one going all Team Jacob, Team Edward about this." And she knows that guy Jim who did the impressions and went home week one told her that not everything can be boiled down to the plot of a young adult novel, but like she's going to take advice from a loser like him.

"Speaking of, Kel, seriously, how are you Team Edward?"

"Um, Stella, he's perfection, need we go through this again?"

"I think it's because you like assholes."

"Stella!"

"You can't tell me that you think Ryan is a decent human being. And when I say you can't, I mean, really, you can't, because I'll stop being your friend, and you'll only have Harper to talk to."

Harper said the vampires in _Twilight_ were completely unrealistic one day at lunch, and since then, Kelly's hated her a little bit. "He's not that horrible, is he?"

"He spent all of his last fitting staring at your ass."

"Can you blame him? I've been doing Billy Blanks all this month, and it's obvious."

"I just want better for you."

"Well, while we're discussing this, you better stop staring at Joe, because Demo Lovato clearly has claimed that as her own."

"I don't even know what you're talking about." 

But Stella won't meet her eyes, so Kelly says, "I'll buy you that drink and you can even try to convince me Jacob could be better than Edward. And we won't let anyone pick us up despite how we'll be the hottest people at the bar. Deal?"

"Alright, deal," Stella says, and lays Temperance's photo down on the counter rather than putting it in the trash.

*****

Nick knows that when he came into this, it was all about winning. And he knows it was so cliche to say in one of his first interviews that the point of signing up for this competition wasn't to make friends. And also that it would be stupid to start to care about these people because the whole point is trying to eliminate one another.

But then they weren't all that terrible, and he feels almost like they've all wound up stranded on this _Party in the USA_ island and are the only people he has to keep him sane. Who get what this experience is like.

When Miley goes home, it's the first time it actually makes him sad, as opposed to just being part of the process. Miley was loud and silly, but she got them all to make sundaes one night, and was pretty decent at the guitar, and he will admit, pretty adorable. It's not like Jim, or Jessie Spano, or Temperance, who he hadn't really known.

And Nick doesn't worry about getting eliminated, but he starts worrying about it happening to Demi. Or Rachel and her friends. And as their numbers dwindle, it's only getting worse.

They're going to be on _iCarly_ 's webshow at the end of the week, whichever ones of them still make it through, and he wants to makes sure that he and Rachel can wear their penny t-shirts. So he tells her they have to do _Don't Stop Believing_ , because she's shown him the video, and it's the best thing in their repertoire. Even if the whole number is her making moon eyes at Finn Hudson.

*****

They are given the week before Easter off, because NBC officials determined they need to show _The Ten Commandments_ and want to drag the show out as far into May sweeps as they can. But that guy Pete was the one who came in and told them that even if they weren't filming shows, they couldn't leave New York due to some stipulation in the contract.

Apparently, because they weren't sure when live voting would begin occurring when the contracts were drawn up, all contestants are legally required to remain within the city limits until a winner is announced to maintain an element of surprise about the order of elimination.

Rachel doesn't really mind though. She's only been to New York once for her bat mitzvah gift from Daddy and Papa, and the weather's been really gorgeous whenever she's actually had the time to look out a window.

"Do you want to see Times Square?" she asks Nick after the meeting and he laughs in a way that's almost a scoff.

"You're not being serious, are you, Rach?"

"Why?"

"There's nothing more tourist-y than visiting Times Square."

"I hate to remind you, Nicholas, but we _are_ tourists."

"Speak for yourself, Berry. Us Jonas boys grew up in Jersey," Joe informs her, while throwing an arm around Demi's shoulders. "We know all the cool places."

"So, what exactly do you want to do?" Demi questions them, and before anyone can even answer, Pete's poking his head back through the door again.

"You're only allowed to go to Central Park, the Museum of Natural History, or the Statue of Liberty if you want to do something other than the usual restaurants and stores."

"That's it?!" Joe yells at him.

Pete's phone dings, and when he glances down to look at it, he says, "Actually, museum's out. Unless it's the wax one."

*****

Nick has been to Central Park so many times in his life that it's slightly absurd considering they didn't even live in this state. And he'd still prefer to do that than any of the other things they're being allowed to.

Joe's convinced almost everyone to go to the zoo, because he couldn't stop talking about how you get to climb inside a turtle shell and pretend you're an animal. But Nick wants to see Strawberry Fields now that he's old enough to appreciate it, and he wants to do it with Rachel.

"I'm sure they have petting zoos in Ohio. This is John Lennon's spot in New York. We've got to go."

"I'm not sure," she tells him. "We could do the wax museum?"

Nick knows Puck's been pushing the wax museum really hard on her, and recently he's not sure if he needs to be threatened more by him or Finn. "The wax museum is terrible. It's always crowded and we're going to be able to meet these celebs for real in just a few weeks. John Lennon, come on!"

"Alright, we can do Strawberry Fields. I'll pack us a lunch."

Nick smiles.

*****

"Are you going out with anyone on those days we have off?" Kelly asks Ryan while he's getting his haircut by Pam. And Pam told her she's been texting with Jim since he left, but Kelly can see the way she's running her hands through Ryan's hair. Bitch.

"I'm like way older than all those kids."

"Yeah, who knew the show would skew so young?" Pam's saying with a longer length of his hair between two of her fingers.

"What are you implying, Pamela?" he asks, and the way he tilts his head to look at her better elicits a slap to his temple.

"I'm going to wind up cutting your ear off if you keep moving! And I'm not implying anything, you're the one who said you were older."

"God, Pam," Kelly butts in, unable to control herself. "Ryan just said that he was older than they were, but the way you said it makes it sound like he's not young."

"Exactly," Ryan agrees, and she smiles really big at him.

"Oh, Ryan, I'm so sorry if my word choice semantically upset you," she says, dripping with bitterness.

Ryan shoots back, "Save the sarcasm for Halpert. And I think you've taken enough off the top." He flicks off the drape and musses his still wet hair in the mirror. "Kelly, you want to do something while the little ones are on the playground?"

She wants to so badly, she almost says yes automatically. She's already thinking about how this would be the perfect excuse to buy that purple dress she saw in Bergdorff's that Stella told her there was no way she was allowed to purchase until her rent was paid, and how it's been so long since she's been out on a real official date, but then she remembers that her father bought her a plane ticket once he found out she was going to be free. "I'd love to, but I've got to go home. To Boston." Her voice sounds the same way it did for the week after Izzie and George got together on _Grey's Anatomy_.

"Whatever, another time. I'll just see if any of my friends in the city are going to be around."

Kelly spends the whole rest of the day trying to figure out how many of those friends might be girls who also do ballet.

*****

Nick was right about Strawberry Fields being a good choice. Today, there’s a few candles burning on the “Imagine” mosaic, and a big bouquet of sunflowers. She actually gets a little teary eyed staring at it, and Nick looks at her seriously and asks if she’s okay, and something about his concern makes her feel like she is.

She tells him about the choir from the School for the Deaf, and he says that he always looks to _The Beatles_ for inspiration, and it's just nice to sit on the grass with him and eat the picnic she put together. She feels like Nick understands everything that no one else ever has, and she can't help but think it's a little unfair that she had to meet him like this. Under these circumstances.

"You know Nick, I'm happy every day that I'm here."

"Me too," he agrees.

And she wants to ask him if he feels like running away with her and trying to make a go of it in the big, bad city by themselves, but the only way to get there would be admitting that one, or both of them, are going to lose this competition, and that's something they just don't do.

Rachel makes him take her picture with the sign at the entrance to the park, and puts it up on Twitter, and then she wants to get one with him in it, that she promises, she'll just keep for herself.

*****

The week after the break is crazy, and Kelly's up to her ears in problems like designers not sending in their samples, and a whole rack of clothes mysteriously going missing, and the fact that _US Weekly_ said that Jake T. Austin was almost looking as tooly as John Gosselin during the last show.

In a way, it's good, because she can focus on other things besides how little attention Ryan Howard's paying towards her.

Even during his fitting, it's all business, and she can't even take the time to analyze whether he was depressed about it.

Before she knows it though, it's Wednesday night, and he's out there on stage, performing to some Tchaikovsky song she can remember her mother making her practice on the piano a hundred years ago, and no matter how many times she played it, it never was as beautiful as this.

She's seen him dance she doesn't even know how many times now, but every time it's like the first.

Michael Scott says he's like the son he hopes to have, and also the best kind of guy friend you could watch YouTube videos with and just really attractive. Tyra tells him about this time she danced ballet as a kid. And John just wants to know how he's been handling all of the female attention. Kelly's only illegally downloading his albums from now on, officially.

On Thursday, she's standing in the wings again, but this time America's saying that the public has spoken, and David Henrie is the first of the Top Four to be chosen.

*****

Liz doesn't want to admit it, but she was honestly kind of rooting for Ryan.

And no, no matter how many times Jenna says it, it has nothing to do with the tights.

*****

"Oh my God, Ryan, are you okay?!" Kelly asks as soon as he's finally allowed to leave the stage. "They're crazy. Seriously, I almost cried last night, you were so amazing. Like Lady Gaga levels of amazing."

He kind of laughs a little, and she wonders if he's in shock or something, because nothing about what just happened was amusing. "Yeah, I'm good. I mean, I'm still on the tour, and I've got my old gig waiting for me at the Pennsylvania Ballet."

"You don't have to be strong for me, Ryan. I won't think you're any less of a man."

"You want to go out and get that drink we postponed? I could use it."

And Kelly's thinking about him crying over his third shot of tequila and her reminding him that she still believes in him, that she's always believed in him, and then their wedding announcement on the cover of _People_. So of course she says yes.

*****

That night, back at the house, Brittany makes a cake for David, and they all sit around eating it until way too late. Everyone is exhausted, but anxious all the time, and it's nice to just be sitting in the dining room in their pajamas. "Those bake sales were worth it," Finn says, licking the back of his fork. "We should raise a lot of money next year."

And as he says it, Rachel can't help but think that even if they're the ones that win, she's going to have to go back to high school when this is over, to take her finals, and hopefully graduate. And how this was probably the year that someone would have actually asked her to the prom, and that she wouldn't have had no one to hang out with on cut day.

This television show is what she's dreamed about since she was a little girl, but she's also dreamed about a lot of normal things too.

Nick waves a hand in front of her face, and says, "Earth to Rachel."

"What? Sorry! I drifted for a second."

"We're going to bed. And you probably should too," Tina says.

"In a minute," Rachel replies. "I'll clean up. My brain's all over the place."

She doesn't ask him to, but Nick stays and helps her load all the dishes and asks her twice if she needs to talk some stuff out before she goes to her room.

*****

At the bar, Ryan doesn't cry. He doesn't even seem to really be sad. But he's quieter. And not so puffed up any more.

As she spins her straw in her drink, Kelly says, "Stella would kill me if she knew I was out with you right now."

"And why is that?"

"She thinks you're kind of a dick," Kelly only confides because she's had two vodka crans already.

Ryan laughs, and she loves listening to him laugh. "Well, she's kind of right."

"I don't think so."

"And that's why, Kelly Kapoor, you're always going to be one of those girls who gets her heart broken."

He pulls his sunglasses down over his eyes, and the hood of his sweatshirt up, and informs her that he's getting another beer if she wants anything.

And looking at him standing up at the bar, even understanding what he just said, she knows she's going to let him come home with her tonight. And if he's not there in the morning, well, Stella will take her to brunch and remind her that she's awesome, and that some day someone is going to realize it.

*****

The night they find out if _New Directions_ makes it into the last slot in the top four, even Rachel will admit that she's a little bit nervous. On stage, her and Quinn are actually holding hands, and she keeps trying to remember that even if they same Demi's name instead of theirs how she has to smile.

Nick already knows he's safe, they found that out last week when they beat _Gormagon_ by the smallest margin yet, but he's still sitting in his seat entirely on edge. Joe looks like he maybe wants to throw up. And Demi's just grinning and telling America that no matter who wins tonight, she knows she sang her heart out and is so thankful that so many people have welcomed her into their homes.

They have to get through a commercial break, and a recap of what happened before the commercial break, and then America's opening the envelope and saying, " _New Directions_ from Lima, Ohio will be seeing you all next week!" and Rachel's making that open mouthed fish face she swore she'd never do in public and Santana and Brittany are jumping up and down and Demi actually comes over and hugs her. Rachel doesn't know if it's her or Demi's who's crying.

*****

Puck tries his damndest to get some champagne into the house that night, but the producers clearly refuse. As a consolation, Jack Donaghy himself comes by to congratulate them all, and brings a case of sparkling cider and each of them a microwave.

Watching Demi take her stuff was hard, as was watching her and Joe hugging goodbye. He's never seen his brother care about a girl like this. On her way out the door, Joe promised the second they're back in Texas, he's taking her to Sonic, and getting her whatever she wants from the menu, and that was the moment she started crying.

Nick glances at Rachel on the other side of the room, where she's talking with Kurt and Mercedes and wonders if he feels the same way.

*****

Liz is so sick about the fact that her show is basically ruining people's dreams and splitting up teenagers in puppy love and having people think it's okay to call a 16 year old a slut because she was standing next to a pole during one of her performances.

Jack says the decision's up to her for who faces off to get them down to a top two, and she turns it over to the cell phone companies and makes the public text it in.

She eats half an Entenmann's cake waiting for the results to come in.

*****

Jake and David both got sent home, and now, it's the way Rachel told him she predicted this all winding down, him versus her.

This is the first night that they've both had to perform, and it's weird to be sharing the dressing room with all the Glee club guys rather than knowing they're out there somewhere in the audience. They're each getting to go on stage twice. The first performance has to be the same as their audition piece and the second is new material. 

Nick wants them to do "Lovebug" because he's honestly feeling that song, but Kevin's really clinging to the idea of "That's Just the Way We Roll". Joe tells them he'll let them know after they get through the first one and Nick's dying not being able to visualize the whole rest of the evening in his mind.

He hasn't been this nervous to perform possibly ever. Not even the first time they got up on stage. He's got to go out there tonight and do better than he's ever done. Better maybe than he's capable of. And it's terrifying, because the whole rest of his life is hinging on what happens in the next two days.

Before they go out, all of the guys shake hands, and then _New Directions_ is taking the stage, singing "Keep Holding On", and the knots in his stomach only get worse.

*****

Rachel remembers why they learned this song in the first place. How Quinn's baby will be turning one soon and she doesn't even know her name. The way she would put this song on repeat one in her bedroom when someone had been exceptionally mean to her that day. That it's a song about not giving up on your dreams, and could actually make her dreams come true.

Rachel doesn't know how her voice doesn't crack. Why she's not just bawling on stage, feeling so many different things.

They grab one another's hands at the end, and she breathes deep, hoping it was good enough. Hoping she was good enough.

She can see her dads in the audience, and they look so proud already.

*****

Kelly stopped watching from backstage once Ryan was eliminated, but she's sitting in the green room with Stella and Harper and Little J, and they're watching the live CCTV feed. Avril always makes her want to cry a little, but being in the room with these girls she's worked with for the past six months, it's that much worse.

By the end, Little J's way too heavy mascara has dripped all down her cheeks and Stella keeps wiping at her eyes, and Kelly isn't ready for this experience to be over. 

Even if Ryan isn't returning her calls.

*****

Minutes before they're supposed to go out there, Joe says they're doing "Hello Beautiful".

"We've never performed that live before, Joe," Nick says, trying to remember what parts are his and what parts are Joe's and whether they even have two guitars in tune.

"I want to do it. And you said it came down to me. So, ergo, we're doing."

"I can't believe that Artie taught you to word ergo," Kevin says.

"More importantly though, _why_ do you want to do this?" Nick asks.

"Demi's watching tonight," he says. Just simple, like that's enough. And for Joe, it probably is. But, what's weird is it's enough for Nick too.

"Kevin, you okay with doing it?"

"Yeah, I know my tabs," Kevin says.

And then that page, Kenneth, is sticking his head in to tell them they're wanted in stand by.

*****

Jack arranged for her and the other higher ups involved on the show to watch at a special screening room, but Liz knew there was no way she would be capable of surviving that situation.

So, she's at home in her pajamas, working her way through enough Chinese food that her order came with five fortune cookies.

She loves best whoever is on her TV screen at that exact moment.

*****

Out on stage, they sound like they've done this song a thousand times before.

When Joe sings, there's so much heart in it, and Nick knows they wrote this song years ago, but he has no idea how it's ever going to be about anyone other than Demi.

Looking out over the crowd, he can see the posters, and the t-shirts with their faces, and all of these people holding onto their every word. This is all Nick's ever wanted, for people to listen to and love his music.

The applause when they're through, it sounds enough like winning for him.

*****

Rachel can't help it that as soon as America's announced their toll free number for the final time and they file off stage that she grabs him and squeezes him so hard. It's a relief, almost. They've each done everything they could have done, and now it's out of their hands, and yes, one of them is going to win tomorrow, and the other one won't, but she doesn't even care.

Adam Lambert and Kris Allen both have millions of fans and sell their albums and have people love them.

"You guys were so incredible, Nick, I can't even begin to tell you." 

He seems like he's almost vibrating, and she doesn't know if it's nerves or giddiness or some combination of the two. 

"We did this, Rach! I mean, we're the final two! And you...you've got such a beautiful voice, Rach." He's the one that hugs her then, again, and she doesn't want him to let go. "I mean it. I never get tired of hearing you," Nick says, quietly in her ear, and Rachel can feel all of the emotions she's been carrying around for weeks force the tears into her eyes.

"Almost everyone gets tired of hearing me," she says with more seriousness than she would have liked, but she's just so tired and jazzed up and on the verge of...something.

And then Nick's kissing her, and it's like the way she feels when she steps off the elliptical machine after an hour. Like her legs are shaky and her heart's beating too fast and she just feels so accomplished and in control and... _good_. Kissing Nick, it feels good.

Tomorrow one of them is going to get a check and a record deal.

But that's tomorrow.


End file.
